Two leaders from the long-time environmental justice community known as “Cancer Alley” in Louisiana were arrested on June 25th for peacefully protesting against the Taiwanese petrochemical company, Formosa Plastics. The company plans to build a plastics manufacturing facility in the backyard of a predominately Black Louisiana community that has already experienced large health detriments from polluting industries in their community. Read More
Photo by: Ron Moyi/Louisiana Bucket Brigade
Category: News Archive
The EPA redefined protections of water through its new navigable waters rule on June 22, one that largely cuts out storm water runoff from being regulated by the EPA. This change could have a large detrimental impact on drinking water quality in areas and could therefore result in greater human health risks. Thus far, the new rule went into effect in all states except Colorado, where a federal judge in Colorado was able to block the Trump administration’s narrowing definition of water protections. Read More
Photo by Suhel Nadaf on Unsplash
Air pollution and increased temperatures are not only tied to climate change but have also been tied to the increased likelihood of having premature, underweight, and stillborn babies. Given that many low-income and minority communities are disproportionately impacted by industrial pollution and many can’t afford air conditioning in their homes, they are at a much higher risk for pregnancy risks. Black mothers have been specifically impacted by these risks. In addition to the risks of increasing temperatures and air pollution exposures, minority mothers tend to have less access to medical care and unequal levels of treatment when getting care. In order to address systemic racism, we need to also make sure that the environment in which people live is equitable. Read More
Photo by Tembinkosi Sikupela on Unsplash
Recent discoveries have found that large amounts of microplastics are coming down from the sky with rain. Researchers in the Western US were able to estimate the amount of microplastics in rainfall and found that approximately 120 million plastic bottles worth of microplastics in rain is pouring down on 11 protected areas in the US every year. Although the health detriments involved with inhaling or consuming microplastics is relatively unknown, the human impacts are likely highly detrimental. Plastics degrade into smaller and smaller pieces over time and release chemicals, making it likely that they will have consequential human and ecological impacts. Studies have already shown that some marine organisms, such as hermit crabs, have had large behavioral changes due to increasing microplastic exposure in the ocean. Read More
Photo from Getty Images
Environmental degradation and pollution have dominated low-income and minority communities, both historically and in the present day. These populations are known as environmental justice communities and often struggle disproportionately with health issues such as respiratory illnesses and cancers due to pollution. The five stories in the article below are told from the perspectives of five different individuals living in distinct environmental justice communities. Read More
Photo credit: Katie G. Nelson
Yes, we can say their names: George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, Trayvon Martin and far too many more, people of color who were killed or mistreated by the racist criminal justice system. Black people and people of color experience daily threats to their lives due to institutional racism and exploitation in this country, a reality that is not always evident to someone who hasn’t had that experience. While our country’s long history of racial injustice and violence makes this fact unsurprising, it was and is horrible and it is unacceptable.
I have always believed in the power of social movements to create lasting change. Collective action has, in several very important moments in our country’s history, forced forward necessary changes to its laws and its norms, resulting in the bettering of many lives. I am lucky to have lived through a few of these moments, and I believe that this is one of them. I wholeheartedly support the Black Lives Matter movement and the progress they are fighting to create.
Just as communities of color are often targeted by institutional systemic racism, they also find themselves vulnerable to environmental health hazards at disproportionately higher rates than White Americans. Over our nearly 40 year history, our work has shown us that environmental justice is deeply interwoven with racial justice, and we at CHEJ have and will continue to be committed to equity for all races. We know the people and communities who are forced to live in America’s Sacrifice Zones — communities that are in the 70th or higher percentile for cancer and respiratory related illnesses. They are Black, Latino, Indigenous Native Americans and White. What they have in common is that they are almost always poor, and the air they breathe is always toxic. They did not choose to live with this exposure, but they are forced to suffer from pollutants spewing from factories, power plants, and other sources. Currently, many of these communities battle staggering infection rates due to COVID-19, which is worsened due to their pre-existing respiratory illnesses caused by many of these pollutants.
We hear the cries of George Floyd, Eric Garner, and more saying, “I can’t breathe.” There are many other silenced voices also pleading for their lives, who reside in these Sacrifice Zone communities. They, too, are being stripped of their rights to breathe clean air. Many times they are the same communities often preyed upon by a violent, racist criminal justice system and other forms of systemic institutional racism. Together, they represent compounding effects that continue to oppress and disenfranchise Sacrifice Zone communities and to a larger degree, disproportionately harm communities of color across our nation. We must do something now to stop it. We must work together, all of us, to ensure that everyone, and especially vulnerable communities, have the right to freedom, justice, and equality, including the right to breathe clean air. To the Black Lives Matter movement: know that we are with you in this fight, we are standing beside you, and we support you fully.
Lois Gibbs, Founder of CHEJ, June 2020
Many recent studies have involved the effect of microplastics in drinking water on both human and marine health. However, more and more studies have begun investigating the impact that airborne microplastics have on both human and ecological health. Inhaling fragments of microplastics have largely detrimental human health impacts. The most surprising finding is that airborne microplastics have not just been found in highly industrialized and polluted areas, but also ones that we normally see as “pristine,” such as national parks. Microplastics can come from obvious sources such as plastic bottles, but also from waterproof outdoor gear and tents used for camping. The human health risks involved with breathing in fragments of microplastics have been recently linked to lung disease and tissue damage. Read More
While the EPA continues to cut environmental regulations, the country’s most polluting industries are now turning their focus to state environmental regulatory agencies. Many companies have recently asked state regulators to relax or delay pollution monitoring requirements, claiming that Covid-19 has made them unable to comply with laws that protect the public from the health hazards of pollution. The majority of states do not publish any information about companies that say they are struggling to comply with environmental laws, meaning that most Americans that live near large polluting factories, refineries, and farms are unaware whether the pandemic has led to more pollution in their areas or not. Read More
Current legislation in Louisiana makes it a felony to trespass on the lands of oil and gas facilities, which are considered “critical infrastructure”. Louisiana is currently working to expand these laws to make these trespassing charges include those of flood control infrastructure and to stiffen the penalties of jail time from 3 to 15 years if the area is under an emergency order. This legislation criminalizes protests against large oil, gas, and levee infrastructure projects and have made it much more difficult for environmental justice organizations to protest against large and harmful infrastructure projects and sites. Read More
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TOXIC TUESDAY: FORMALDEHYDE
What is Formaldehyde?
Formaldehyde is a dangerous chemical that affects the respiratory system, lungs, eyes, and skin. It is classified as a carcinogen, hazardous substance, and hazardous waste. According to the American Cancer Society, Formaldehyde is a colorless, strong smelling gas used in making building materials and many common household products. It is well known for its preservative and anti-bacterial properties. It is commonly used in building materials such as particle board, pressed wood, insulation, glues and adhesives and more. It is also found in medic2ines, cosmetics, and cleaning products. Formaldehyde is even used in some food products as a preservative.
Why is it dangerous?
Formaldehyde is a dangerous chemical and is a known human carcinogen. It has been linked to cancer in animal studies. One study in mice showed that “applying a 10% solution of formaldehyde to the skin was linked to quicker development of cancers caused by another chemical”. Formaldehyde is common in certain workplaces and studies of industrial workers show increased risk of leukemia and cancers of the nose and throat. Formaldehyde can also be released from plants producing products that contain the chemical, increasing exposure to surrounding neighborhoods
Who is affected?
Since Formaldehyde is commonly found in many products commonly used in the home and workplace, exposure to the public is high. The main way exposure occurs is inhaling the chemical, although the liquid form can also be absorbed through the skin. Because of these routine exposures, formaldehyde is often present in both indoor and outdoor air, though at low levels. Materials containing formaldehyde can release it as a gas or vapor into the air.
There is a section of St. James Parish in Louisiana known as “Cancer Alley”. Cancer Alley is an 85 mile stretch of petrochemical plants and oil refineries along the Mississippi river. Many of these plants release several cancer causing chemicals, including formaldehyde and benzene. People living in this area are 50 times more likely to get cancer than the average American. Rolling Stone calls Cancer Alley the “frontline of environmental racism”. The communities surrounding this toxic stretch of plants consist largely of minority and low income neighborhoods, the poorest people in Louisiana live closest to Cancer Alley. New plants are in the process of getting approved and residents are wary of more poolution including an increase in formaldehyde and other cancer causing chemicals.
To learn more about formaldehyde, click here.
To learn more about Cancer Alley, click here.